Selector switch



March 17, 1 970 D, F, WILLCOX ET AL 3,501,609

SELECTOR SWITCH Filed Aug. 29, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 D. F. WlLLcox ET AL 3,501,609

March 17, 1970 SELECTOR SWITCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 196s @MM @mf March 17, 1970 Q F wlLLcox ET AL 3,501,609

SELECTOR SWITCH Filed Aug. 29, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 if 10 Q7:

@y/farai March 17, 1970 D. F. wlLLcox ET A1. 3,501,609

SELECTOR SWITCH Filed Aug. 29, 1968 4 sheets-sheet 4 i x M76 Unitedv States Patent O 3,501,609 SELECTOR SWITCH Dale F. Willcox, Aurora, and Irving W. Krieger, Sr., St. Charles, Ill., assignors to Furnas Electric Company, Batavia, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 756,168 Int. Cl. H01h 3/08 U.S. Cl. 200-172 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE In order to increase the utility of push button control stations the arrangement provides a selector switch which may be set by the operator for a two position indexing operation or for a three position indexing operation. The selector switch essentially comprises a guide plate in the form of an annulus having notches formed therein and an indexing plate also in the form of an annulus and having notches therein for coaction with the notches in the guide plate to effect the desired indexing operation.

The invention relates to electric switch structure and has reference in particular to a selector switch for controlling magnetic starters and the like for governing the starting, stopping and the speed of applicable motors.

Standard push button control stations as heretofore assembled have included one, two or three push button units in a variety of combinations to provide compact control units for the remote control of magnetic starters and contactors. In order to increase the utility of such control stations the invention has for its main objective the provision of a selector switch which may be set by the operator for either a two position operation or a three position operation and which may be conveniently locked in any one of its several positions as may be selected.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selector switch for use in push button control stations and which will function in a selective manner to actuate the plunger of a contact switch device and wherein selective actuation of the plunger may be changed from a two position indexing to a three position indexing or vice versa.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a selector switch which can be changed at any time as regards its indexing positions by simply resetting a tab lo` cated in one of two openings in the back Wall of the housing. When the tab is located in one opening, the selector knob will actuate the plunger of the contact switch into open or closed positions. When the tab is located in the other opening the plunger will be actuated for three indexed positions such as for low speed, off and high speed.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specication, drawings and claims appended thereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the cover plate of a station assembly which is equipped with the selector switch mechanism of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the station assembly of FIGURE 1 showing the supporting frame for supporting the contact switch device;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the station assembly of FIGURES 1 and 2, the same showing the knob of the selector and its association with the contact switch device;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevational view taken substantially along line 5 5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational View of the cover plate and bracket taken substantially along line 6 6 of FIG- URE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 7-7 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 8 is a front elevational view of the selector knob and bracket as shown in FIGURE 7 but with the cover plate removed and the parts as set at the factory;

FIGURE 9 is a front elevational view of the selector knob and bracket asshown in FIGURE 8 but with the knob turned and located for a three position indexing;

FIGURE 10 is a View similar to FIGURE 9 but showing the selector knob in a neutral position;

FIGURE 11 is a View similar to FIGURE 10 but showing the selector knobin the third position from FIGURE 9 of a three position indexing;

FIGURE 12 is a view of the selector knob and bracket with the parts located for a two position indexing;

FIGURE 13 is another View similar to FIGURE 12 showing the parts located in the second position of a two position indexed selection;

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view of the bottom guide plate;

p FIGURE 15 is a perspective View of the top indexing plate;

FIGURE 16 is a front elevational View of an enclosure plate for a pilot light and selector switch station assembly showing locking means for the knob of the selector switch; f

FIGURE 17 is a rear elevational View of the enclosure plate structure shown in FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18 is an elevational view of the supporting frame for the enclosure plate structure of FIGURE 16, and which shows the pilot light and contact switch device supported thereon;

FIGURE 19 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line 19-19 of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 20 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the locking structure for the knob of the selector;

FIGURE 21 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to FIGURE 2O but showing the knob of the selector switch in another locked position;

FIGURE 22 is a perspective view of the slide of the locking device; and

FIGURE 23 is a perspective view of the holder of the locking device.

The invention has been illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 15 inclusive as applied to a station assembly without any push buttons or without a pilot light although these units can be employed in a push button control station along with the selector mechanism as disclosed in said figures. Accordingly the disclosure has been considerably simplified and further a plain face plate or cover plate 10 has been selected in which the knob 11 of the selector is located for selective rotary movements. The knob has a special formation as best shown in FIGURE 4 and which includes the skirt 12 and the handle part 13. The handle part 13 is formed with a V-shaped recess 14 at one end and an indicating arrow 15 is provided on its top surface. The skirt 12 is cored centrally to form the recess 16 and the lbottom face of the knob has a cam formation to provide the low cam surfaces 17, the intermediate cam surfaces 18 and the high cam surfaces 20. See FIGURES 6 and 7. Of course sloping or diagonal surfaces join the said low, intermediate and high camming surfaces and the body portion of the knob has a circumferential ange 21 which retains the knob in place between the cover plate and the secured bracket 22. Cover plate and bracket structure for retaining a pilot light lens or a push button is disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 728,297 filed May 10, 1968 and entitled Push Button Station Assembly.

Referring again to FIGURE 4 the opening in the cover plate 10` is formed with the inturned collar 23 and the flange 21 thus engages the collar and the wall of the bracket 22, the said parts retaining the knob 11 while permitting rotary movement of the same. The bracket 22 rectangular as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 and the 1bracket includes the depending side flanges 24 and the end extensions 25 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the underside of the face plate. The openings in the rivets receive the screws 26 which are used to fasten the supporting frame 27, FIGURE 2, to the face plate and bracket combination. An opening is formed in the wall of the 'bracket 22 and the metal of the opening is used in forming a tongue 28 which has utility as a stop for the selector switch mechanism to be presently described.

The supporting frame when in secured relation on the cover plate provides the support for the switch mechapositioning the switch device so that the plunger 33 of the same will be properly aligned for actuation by the cam surfaces of the selector knob. The terminals 34 have electrical connection to the power supply and to the motor or the like to be energized and by actuation of the plunger the circuits can be controlled.

The invention provides the selector knob 11 having the camming surfaces 17, 18 and 20 for selectively actuating the plunger 33 of the switch device 30. When the station assembly is shipped from the factory the selector knob is disposed vertically as shown in FIGURES l and 8 and instructions are included whereby the operator can rotate the knob either to the right or to the left for selecting a two position indexing of the selector knob or a three position indexing. The structure for accomplishing this result and the details of the indexing mechanism will now 'be described'.

The guide plate 36 shown in FIGURE 14 and the indexing plate 37 FIGURE 15, comprise the essential elements of the indexing mechanism. The guide piate is an annulus having the linger 38 and also having the V-shaped notches 40, 41 and 42 disposed in spaced relation on its top surface. The notches are duplicated diametrically and an angle of about ninety degrees exists between adjacent notches and 42. The indexing plate 37 also includes an annulus having diametrically connecting spokes 43 which provide the center ring 44. The top surface is indented diametrically to form the V-shaped notches and part of the periphery of the plate is cut away providing the recess 46. The recess has an angular extent of approximately ninety degrees. When the guide and indexing plates are operatively assembled with the knob, the indexing plate overlies the guide plate and the spokes 43 are located in the diametrical slot 47, FIGURE 6, on the knob between the duplicated cam surfaces. Also the center ring 44 is located in the cored recess 16 which also contains the coil spring 48. The coil spring applies pressure to the plate structure to maintain the finger 38 in either the opening designated number 2 or the opening designated number 3. Assuming that the operator has rotated the knob to select a three position indexing, then the parts will be located as in FIGURE 9 with the linger 38 heid in the opening member 3.

From FIGURE 9 it will be observed that the operator can only rotate the selector knobl in a clockwise direction since shoulder 50 of the recess 46- is in contact with the tongue 28. Also the notches 45 of the indexing plate are located in the notches 40 of the guide plate. Thus three indexed positions are possible with the notches 45 being progressively' disposed in notches 40, 41 and then 42. See FIGURES 10 and l1. The other shoulder 51 of recess 46 will now contact the tongue 28, and thus rotation of ninety degrees has taken place. The three position indexing of the knob 11 has caused the cam areas 17, 18 and 20 to selectively contact the plunger 33 and to actuate the switch device from a slow speed position to an olf position and then to a high speed position or any other three indicated positions such as may be predetermined by the various circuits connected to the switch device 30.

If the operator should at some time desire to change to a two position selection possibly because some change has been made in the circuit connections, then the finger 38 is depressed from the number 3 position opening as shown in FIGURE 9 and the selector knob is turned clockwise so that the combination of plates is also rotated clockwise and eventually the finger 38 will drop into the opening number 2, see FIGURE 12. This rotation of the plate combination will thus index the plate 36 and also the plate 37 approximately ninety degrees so that the other shoulder 51 of the recess 46 is now in contact with the tongue 28.

A two position indexing operation is illustrated in FIG- URES 12 and 13. Whereas in FIGURE 9, only rotation in a clockwise direction was possible for a three position indexing operation, the arrangement of the parts in FIF- URE l2 will permit only a counter-clockwise rotation for the two position indexing. The permissive direction of rotation of the selector knob in the various figures is indicated by the small arrows. Thus from FIGURE 12 to FIGURE 13 the indexing plate 37 will rotate approximately ninety degrees as permitted by the recess 46 and the plate will move from the notches 40 to the notches 42 in a counter-clockwise direction. Return movement from FIGURE 13 to FIGURE 12 is the next step in the indexing operation. This rotation of the selector knob will cause the camming surfaces 17 and 20 to actuate the plunger 33. Although this rotary movement renders the cam surfaces 18 eifective, there is no indexed position for the cam surfaces 18. Another distinguishing feature between the three position indexing and the two position indexing resides in the fact that for FIGURE 9 at the start of a. three position indexing the high camming surfaces 20 are disposed horizontally. For FIGURE 12 at the start of a two position indexing the high camming surfaces 20 are disposed vertically. This is obviously the case since the relationship which the camming surfaces have with the large arrow 15 and with Athe handle part 13 is not changed.

In FIGURES 16, 17, 18 and 19, the selector switch mechanism of the invention is shown in assembled relation with a pilot light and lens. Also to illustrate the modular flexibility of the station assemblies the combined selector switch and pilot light and lens are assembled in a generai purpose enclosure plate and supporting box. The enclosure plate 60 is provided with two openings, one for receiving the lens 61 and the other one for receiving the selector switch knob 11. The bracket 2.2 is riveted to the enclosure plate and the openings in the rivets receive the screws 62 which in this station assembly serve to fasten the supporting box 63 to the plate. The lens 61 extends through an opening in the plate 60` and into an opening formed in the wall of the bracket 22. A tight fit of the lens in the openings retains the same in place and in alignment with the bulb `64 of the contact block 65 of the pilot light. The screw 66 secures the block 65 in place on the base of the supporting box. The terminals 67 on the contact block provide for the power connections to the pilot light.

The enclosure plate -60 and supporting v-box 63 also have assembled therewith the selector knob 11 and the switch device 30 all as previously described, The securing screw 31 secures the contact block of the switch 30 to the base of the box 63 and the numeral 34 indicates the terminals of the switch device. The knob 11 is heldV for rotary movement in the enclosure plate 60 with the flange 21 being confined between the plate and the bracket. Here also the stepped camming surfaces on the knob are adapted to actuate the plunger 33 of the switch device to thus control the circuits in electrical connection with the switch device'.

In the event it may be desired to lock the selector knob 11 in any one of its several indexed positions, the invention contemplates the provision of a locking device consisting of the holder 70 and the locking slide 71, FIG- URES 22 and 23. The holder has a central opening 72 for receiving a screw such as 62 for fastening the holder to the enclosure plate 60 as shown in FIGURE 19. The two .larger openings 73 are adapted to receive a padlock which will lock and hold the slide 71 in an elevated locking position. The top outwardly bent lug 74 is of such a shape as to interiit with the extensions 75 which are integral with the locking slide 71. When the parts are assembled as shown in FIGURES and 21 the slide can be moved up and down with respect to the holder while being retained by the holder.

The formation 76 at the top end of the extensions are designed so as to have an interlocking engagement with the V-shaped notch 14 in the -bottom end of the handle part 13 of the selector knob. Thus the selector knob can be locked in either of its angular positions, FIGURES 20 and 21. It is also possible to lock the selector knob in a vertical position since the handle part 13 will then interft between the extensions 75. FIGURE 16 illustrates this intermediate locked position of the selector knob.

What is claimed is: p

1. In a device of the character described, a cover plate having at least one opening therein, a bracket in fixed relation on the rear side of the cover plate, said bracket having an opening therein of approximately the same diameter and in alignment with the opening in the cover plate, a selector switch knob mounted in the aligned openings for rotation, said knob projecting at each end to provide a handle part on the side of the cover plate and a camming formation on the side of the bracket, and indexing mechanism located between the cover plate and bracket and having operative `associated relation with the knob, said mechanism in one indexed posi-tion providing Ifor two indexed rotative positions of the knob, and said mechanism in another indexed position providing for -three indexed rotative positions of the knob.

2. A device of the character as deiined by claim 1, wherein the mechanism includes a guide plate having an arrangement of notches formed in its surface and an indexing plate adapted to overlie and rest on the guide plate, said indexing plate also having at least one notch' formed therein and which is adapted to coact with the notches in the guide plate when the indexing plate is rotated relative to the guide plate, and said guide plate having a linger for location in one of a pair of openings in the wall of the bracket, said finger when in one opening positioning the guide and indexing plates as a unit for the two indexed rotative positioning of the knob and saidjnger when in the other of said openings positioning the guide and indexing plates as a unit for the three indexed rotative positioning of the knob.

3. A device of the charatcer as defined by claim 1, wherein the mechanism includes a guide plate in the form of an annulus and having a plurality of notches formed in its surface in spaced relation and an indexing plate adapted to overlie and rest on the glide plate, said indexing plate also comprising an annulus of the same diameter as the guide plate and having at least one notch formed therein and which is adapted to coact with the notches in the guide plate when the indexing plate is rotated relative to the guide plate, said indexing plate also having a peripheral cut-out portion forming a recess to provide stop shoulders approximately ninety angular degrees apart, and a tongue provided by the wall of the bracket and having location in the recess, whereby the stop shoulders engage the said tongue to limit the rotation of the indexing plate relative to the guide plate.

4. A device of the character as delined by claim 1, wherein the mechanism includes a guide plate having an arrangement of notches formed in its surface and an indexing plate adapted to overlie and rest on the guide plate, said indexing plate also having at least one notch formed therein and which is adapted to coact with the notches in the guide plate when the indexing plate is rotated relative to the guide plate, means releasably positioning the guide plate in a selected rotated position, said indexing plate having a diametrically extending part and the said knob having a diametrically extending slot for receiving the said part of the indexing plate whereby to operatively connect the indexing plate with the knob, and resilient means retained by the knob for applying resilient pressure to the guide and indexing plate combination.

5. A device of the character as defined by claim 1, wherein vthe mechanism includes a guide plate in the form of an annulus and having a plurality of notches formed in its surface in spaced relation and an indexing plate adapted to overlie and rest on the guide plate, said indexing plate also comprising an annulus of the same diameter as the guide plate and having at least one notch formed therein and which is adapted to coact with the notches in the guide plate when the indexing plate is rotated relative to the guide plate, means releasably positioning the guide plate in a selected rotated position, said indexing plate having a diametrically extending part and the said knob having a diametrically extending slot for receiving the said part of the indexing plate whereby to operatively connect the indexing plate with the knob, and resilient means retained by the knob for applying resilient pressure to the guide and indexing plate combination.

6. In a device of the character described, a cover plate having at least one opening therein defined by an inwardly directed collar, a bracket in xed relation on the rear side of the cover plate, said bracket having an opening therein of approximately the same diameter and in alignment with the opening in the cover plate, a selector switch knob mounted in the aligned openings for rotation, said selector switch knob having a ange and which is disposed between the collar and the wall of the bracket, said selector switch knob projecting at each end to provide a handle part on the side of the cover plate and a camming formation on the side of the bracket, indexing mechanism located between the cover plate and bracket and having operative associated relation with the selector switch knob, said indexing mechanism including a guide plate in the form of an annulus and having an arrangement of notches located in an arc of approximately ninety degrees, an indexing plate in overlying relation on the guide plate and also in the form of an annulus having at least one notch adapted to coact with the arrangement of notches when the indexing plate is rotated relative to the guide plate, said bracket wall having a pair of openings therein, a finger on the guide plate for location in either one of said openings, said indexing plate having a diametrically extending part and the selector switch knob having a slot for receiving the part whereby to operatively connect the selector switch knob and the indexing plate, said indexing plate having a peripheral cut-out portion of approximately ninety degrees in angular extent to form a recess providing stop shoulders, and a tongue provided by the wall of the bracket and located in the recess and with which the stop shoulders are adapted to coact when the indexing plate is rotated relative to the guide plate.

4'7. A device of the character as deiined by claim 6, wherein the notches in the guide plate are disposed diametrically on opposite ninety degree sections of the annulus, and wherein the portions of the annulus between are free of notches and which also have an angular extent of approximately ninety degrees.

8. A device of the character as dened by claim 6, wherein the notches in the guide plate are disposed diametrically on opposite ninety degree sections of the annulus, wherein the portions of the annulus between are free of notches and which also have an angular extent of lapproximately ninety degrees, and additionally including resilient means retained by the selector switch knob for applying resilient pressure to the guide plate and indexing plate combination.

8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1947 Linton 20G-159 7/ 1967 Michaelson.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

